


Things Expected and Not

by Tak138



Series: Kai&Nicole [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Abuse, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Biting, Corporal Punishment, Dehumanization, F/M, Femdom, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Master/Slave, Past Torture, Psychological Torture, Scars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:53:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21815479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tak138/pseuds/Tak138
Summary: It is an omega. Not a human, not a person. It doesn't have a name.But the day has finally come. The day its spent its entire life training for. The day it finally gets an owner.
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Series: Kai&Nicole [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1612975
Comments: 66
Kudos: 226





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So at the suggestion on my lovely beta [Sanguia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanguia/pseuds/sanguia) I've decided to try my hand at some a/b/o dynamics. This is going to be a bit different from the average plot/by plot story, more of just little slice of life snippets. So if you guys have any suggestions, let me know :))

The omega had never seen so much light before. The whole ceiling was so bright it had to blink away, cowering against its handlers. They had only left it there, as they always did. Without a word.

The room was just as crisp and empty as its cell, the walls a pure white and the floors a cold tile. But instead of a cot there was a table. And instead of a toilet and sink there was nothing.

It didn’t know what this meant. It didn’t know if it had been bad or if someone was mad at it. But it was good, it stood still where they had left it. Even as the air nipped at its skin, leaving it cold and shivering.

A man in matching grey scrubs strode in just a little while later, holding a clipboard and a pen. His name tag read Stephen P. A feeling of relief washed over it, breathing a sigh through its nose. It recognized Stephen P. Had been examined by him before. A beta that didn’t seem to mind it being around. Didn’t seem disgusted or even bothered.

“MO-22894,” said Stephen P., clicking his pen. “Okay, so. First things first, any further symptoms? Sneezing, coughing, nausea?”

It flushes bright red, focusing on the floor. It hated causing trouble. Its illness had been horrific, leaving it weak and unable to perform its daily tasks and studies. Thankfully, that had abated. Stephen P. asked him a few more questions, all kindly, with a half smile on his face.

It liked Stephen P. He was nice.

“Alright. That’s enough of that. Hop on the table for me, will ya?” Stephen P. clicked his pen, tucked it into his shirt pocket.

It nodded, said, “Yes, Sir,” and sat on the table. It was cold beneath its bare skin, but no colder than the room itself. This was strange, though. It had never been told to sit before. Stephen P. grabbed something from the wall, from a rack it has somehow missed on the wall. He snapped on a pair of blue latex gloves and came over to prod along its abdomen.

“Any pain?” Asked Stephen P.

“No, Sir,” the omega replied.

The gloves moved up, felt around its jaw and temples and shoulders. Then its armpits and ribs. It didn’t know what he was looking for, but it was good and stayed still the whole time.

Stephen P. made a quiet humming sound, marking some things off on his clipboard. “So, you excited?”

It blinked, keeping its face impassive. “Excited, Sir?”

“For, ya know?” Stephen P. waggled his eyebrows. “Getting the eff out of here?”

Another blink. “I’m sorry, Sir?”

Stephen P. huffed, snorted, “Ah, shi—shoot. They didn’t tell you?”

It looked at its hands, the tattoo on its wrist. “No, Sir.”

“Well, you didn’t hear it from me but,” Stephen P. grinned brighter than the lights overhead, “I heard someone’s getting an owner.”

It froze, something totally foreign burning through it. “An… owner?” it whispered, awed.

What? _What?_

“Mmhm. A lady, or so I’ve heard,” he whispered, winking.

_Oh my god oh my god oh my god_ —

“Are you— are you sure?” It sputtered.

Stephen P. shushed it, laughing softly. “Yeah, course. This is your pre-send off examination. To make sure you’re all good.”

Despite itself, the omega was beaming just as bright as Stephen P.

  
  
  
  
  


Three nights later, the omega woke to a gag and handcuffs. Usually this meant it had been bad, usually it would flinch and whimper out apologies, but it didn’t think that was what was happening. Not if Stephen P. was right.

The muzzle was cold leather, tightened so it dug into its skin but didn’t make it hard to breathe. The handcuffs were harsh and painful, but didn’t cut through its skin. They were being gentle with it, being cautious. Like they knew this omega wasn’t theirs to play with anymore.

It was all the omega could do not to bounce on its toes.

The ten years had passed incredibly slowly, it mused in its own head. Ten years since its training had started. Since it had become an _it_.

And finally, _finally_ , here it was. It should have guessed, really. The handlers had taken it to get its hair cut the other day. Were scrubbing it down more often. Being gentler. But had Stephen P. not said anything, it probably wouldn’t have guessed until they took it to a room with a pile of clothes. A black shirt and blue, rough pants. Jeans.

“Get dressed,” one of them said, undoing the cuffs. The omega obeyed automatically, pulling the clothes over its body without thought. It hadn’t worn clothes since it had first come here, and now they felt foreign.

It hoped its owner wouldn’t make it wear these all the time. They were rough and scratchy and made it feel like it might be ugly underneath.

Also, in the deepest reaches of its mind, it hoped its owner would let it be a him again. Not a person, obviously, of course, it was not a person. No omega could ever be a person, but it could be a him. It had been once.

The cuffs were put on again, right over the scars from all the other times. A staple, Stephen P. had assured it. All other omega had them. No beta would ever mind. Still, they were embarrassing. As if it needed tight shackles to control it.

It wasn’t bad. It was a good slave, it always did its best not to cause trouble. Hopefully, its new owner would give it a chance to prove that.

It usually had different handlers to escort it from place to place, but it recognized one of them. An angry-faced beta woman that did not like it. Didn’t seem to like anything, for that matter.

It would not miss her. And maybe that was the sign of a terrible omega, but she wasn’t its owner. It didn’t have to like her.

They led it from cement hallways and buzzing lights to a room paneled in amber wood, the carpeted floor nearly stealing its breaths as it took three steps across the plush surface. The room was still empty, but not cold and empty like a lot of the other ones. There was a mirror on one wall, next to it a door. It wondered what was beyond. If its new owner was just over there. Before they could shove it down, it dropped to its knees. The cuffs were removed again, the gag unbuckled, and damn if it wasn’t nearly impossible to keep the stupid grin off of its face.

It would have a home. A home, and an owner, and a warm place to sleep, and a home. To take care of. To look after and take pride in. Its heart was racing in its chest, causing it to tremble and quake. Thankfully, his handlers either didn’t notice or didn’t care.

A speaker crackled to life, causing him to jerk.

“Stand up,” commanded a male voice, from overhead.

_Can they see me?_

It stood. For a moment, the only sound was its own rasping breath, its handlers having vanished.

“State your number,” came the voice again.

“MO-22894, Sir,” it replied immediately.

Silence.

Then, “Turn in a circle.”

It obeyed, moving slowly on the balls of its feet.

When it faced front once more, the voice said, “Stop,” and it obeyed.

That was when true silence came. Not a word. A crackle. Anything to suggest they were still there.

It began to grow nervous. Was it bad? Did they not like it? Did its owner turn around and walk out?

The thought brought tears to its eyes, but it refused to let them fall. No, it could not lose hope yet. Everything happens for a reason. Every punishment. Every cruel word. Every kind gesture or cooing smile.

This quiet was for a reason. It just had to be good.

So it waited.

And waited.

It must have been twenty minutes before the speaker sounded again.

“Prepare to receive your new name.”

It blinked, brow creasing. A new name? Why? Its name was perfectly fine.

_Be good_ , it reminded itself, _be good_.

So it smoothed out its expression once more.

And waited.

\--

It had only been an hour and already she hated it here. The beta that had been walking Nicole through paperwork was every bit the pretentious prick people expected her to be. He stank like cigarettes and pain, and that sly smirk of his was about halfway to getting smacked. And after a number of off handed comments about how late she was to get an omega, how awful it must be to live alone, surely a lady like her needed company, he was asking for it.

But she restrained herself.

Even after paper after paper after paper. After paper. After paper. A dozen signatures. Her thumb print. Her social security number, three times.

She didn’t get to choose her omega, not really. A manilla envelope had appeared on her stoop, containing ten brief profiles and Polaroids of young omega men. They were all blank faced, hollow-eyed. So Nicole checked the preferred box next to the one with the least dead expression, then checked a few other second choice boxes at random, and sent it back.

The letter had arrived some two weeks earlier, stating they’d randomly selected her from the others in her area.

It had been hell rearranging her life to fit a whole other being; work was not pleased. The subsidiary was nice, if you could pretend an extra fifty dollars a month was enough to feed said other being.

For most of her life, Nicole hadn’t intended to get an omega. They were troublesome, and expensive, and whiny. And she could take care of herself just fine. Then came the omega boom, with every other child presenting as such, and suddenly you didn’t get to pick.

Now that things were in some kind of order, she had to admit she was a little excited. The alpha in her had always been curious. Okay, a little more than curious. Not enough to warrant getting one, but part of her always wondered what it would be like to have one.

Eventually, after all the stupid paperwork, they brough her back into a room kept mostly in dark, only lit by what came in through the window. Or, a two-way mirror if she had to guess.

Only seconds later was he brought in to that other room, and she sucked in a sharp breath as every negative thought went out of her head.

He was gorgeous. Like, drop fucking dead gorgeous. Tall and lithe, and while his eyes were supposed to be green, the yellow lighting made them look gold.

_Oh._

_Oh damn._

His skin, pale as the moon, might as well have been porcelain for how smooth it was. A few freckles dotted his cheeks, across the bridge of his pert little nose. And he was kneeling perfectly. Like someone had posed him that way.

The beta spoke into a microphone, and the omega was rising to his feet, stating his number, and turning so she could see him from all angles. The clothes did little to hide the signature omega waistline, cinched and as hourglass as could be. They didn’t hide that ass either.

“So, is he the one you want?” The beta asked. “A few of your second choices are still here, if you would like to try those.”

Nicole shook her head, “He’s fine.”

“You can’t exchange it once you confirm—”

“I want him,” she snapped, “He’s my choice.”

He sighed, wrote a few things in the file, “Its name will remain MO-22894 officially, unless you would like to change it.”

“Yes, I think I would.”

She spent the whole night researching names. Nothing seemed right, so she’d prepared a small list. Looking at this boy’s face, though? She had the perfect idea.

She told him, and the beta wrote it down as he said, “One more thing before we can get it ready.” He flipped over a page, “You understand the quality of care the state requires you to provide? Annual physicals are required for the first five years, if its BMI is below 18.5 you will be fined, if—”

“Yes, yes,” she groused, “Didn’t we go over this already? You’ve been sending pamphlets to my door for days.”

Cracking a half smile, the beta signed the bottom of the page and then gestured for her to do the same. “Just double checking. Sometimes alphas can… forget.”

Jaw clenching, Nicole snatched the pen from his hand and signed the page.

“One more thing,” he hummed, flipped another page, “This is just you agreeing to get it microchipped within ninety days. You should have already received a coupon—?”

“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered, signing that one too.

Not ten minutes later, they instructed her to drive her car to the back of the facility. This was a hoop she didn’t really mind jumping through. The front end was bustling and crowded, it probably wouldn’t do any good to force him through that his first time outside.

_My boy_ , she thought, white knuckling the steering wheel. _Mine. Mine_.

Mom would laugh in her face. The ‘I told you so’s would probably follow her until death.’

Maybe she would just not introduce him to Mom for a bit. Save them both a little strain.

Stepping inside, Nicole was immediately hit with the scent of frightened omega. It made her stagger a step, raised her hackles.

“It’ll be just a moment, Miss,” said a young woman as she came in, closing the door behind her. “They’re always a little troublesome when it’s time to move.”

Nicole crossed her arms, sitting on a beat up old couch. “Is it an omega thing or—?”

The woman, also a beta, flashed a warm smile. “An omega thing. They get scared easily.”

She nodded, frowned. After a moment of quiet someone knocked on the door and the woman opened it. Nicole’s heart soared, her stomach doing some strange flip, as they brought in her boy. Flimsy leather cuffs bound his hands together, something fabric draped around his neck. And his face… eyes wide and wet with tears, his lips quivering a bitten raw.

Before Nicole could stop herself, she growled, baring her teeth at the two employees. “What happened?” She demanded.

The woman held up her hands. “It just got scared is all. They always do. Don’t worry, it’s perfectly fine. Right, Kai?” She asked pointedly, using the name Nicole had selected. The poor omega sucked in a trembling breath, nodded like his head was about to come off.

“Yes, Ma’am. S-sorry, I’m sorry I—” he sniffled, a fresh wave of tears falling down his cheeks as he dropped back to his knees.

Immediately, Nicole felt herself melt. “Are we done here?” she asked. The sooner they could get out of here the better.

The woman just hummed, pulled the fabric around Kai’s neck up over his eyes. “It’s recommended to keep this on until you’re inside again. Don’t want it getting overwhelmed, yeah?” She chimed, ruffling Kai’s hair. Nicole pretended to not notice how he flinched and forced herself to remain polite.

“Of course,” she said through her teeth, “Thank you for your help. I can take it from here.”

And then it was just the two of them. Her, and Kai. Well, Kaius. But Kai seemed to fit better.

His breathing was ragged, shoulders quivering.

“Oh, you poor thing,” she whispered. Tentatively, she took a step closer. Kai sniffled quietly, wiped his face on the back of his hands.

“Sorry Alpha, I—” a hiccup, “I-I just got scared. I’m—I’m really sorry.”

Nicole tilted her head, “For what?”

“Making —making you wait. They just-just came and grabbed me and I thought you didn’t want me and I—”

She shushed him, carding a hand through his hair. It was soft, just long enough to curl. So dark it was nearly black, but she suspected that was just the shitty lighting. “You’re a good boy,” she whispered, “Yeah? You’re my good boy?”

Kai took another deep breath, but his scent was mellowing out. No longer terrified and acrid.

“Yes Alpha,” he croaked.

Biting her lip, Nicole ran her fingers down his back, shoulders. Feeling the muscles there and chuckling. “They make you work out in here?”

“Y-yes Alpha,” Kai replied, swallowing, “Every other day. We—we need to look our best for our owners. And it keeps us healthy.”

She hummed, her fingers trailing up the sides of his neck. Next time she touched him here, there would be a mating bite beneath her touch. It was a surreal feeling.

“Are you ready to get out of here?” She asked.

“Yes Alpha,” he replied, the corners of his lips squirming upwards.

She helped him to his feet, unable to keep from touching him even just for a moment.

_Mine._

_Mine._

_Mine._

As they walked outside, Kai latched onto her arm, before dropping it like she burned him. “Sorry Alpha,” he whispered.

“You can touch me,” Nicole whispered, “I won’t be upset.”

His throat bobbing, Kai nodded. “Thank you Alpha. I just— haven’t been outside in a really long time.”

That made her frown. As she helped him into the backseat of her car, she said, “I heard a rumor you guys aren’t allowed to go outside the entire time you’re in training. That true?”

He was looking so pitiful there, with his glistening cheeks and bounds hands. “Yes, Alpha,” whispered Kai, “It’s… we’re not supposed to go out. That’s not where we belong.”

“So… how did you stay healthy? They give you pills or something?”

“Yes Alpha. Every morning.”

Nicole frowned, closing his door and moving to sit up front. “You don’t have to call me Alpha,” she sighed as she started the car. “Ma’am or mistress will be just fine.”

“Yes Ma’am,” he replied.

She turned the car on, deciding to ignore Kai’s flinch. She should have seen that coming.

“So, tell me about yourself,” said Nicole, as they started driving.

“What would you like to know, Alph—Mistress?”

She wrinkled her nose at the lingering scent of frightened omega, cracking a window. He was still terrified.

“What do you like to do?”

“Um… I like to cook. I’m really—I’m so good at it, Mistress.”

“All right,” she sighed, “Um… anything else?”

“I’m pretty good at dusting too, and organizing, and—”

“But… what do you like?”

Kai frowned, his brow creasing behind his blindfold. “I’m sorry Mistress, I don’t understand.”

“Well, I don’t know,” she sighed, tapping the steering wheel. “Like… do you like art? Or reading? Or, I dunno, napping?”

He seemed to think about it for a long time. At least a whole minute. At last, he gasped, “Oh! Yeah, yeah, I get it. I like doing laundry.”

“Laundry?” She echoed, shoulders dropping. He nodded quickly.

“Uh huh! I’m really really good at that too, so I never got in trouble for doing bad.”

Jesus Christ.

_What do they do to these kids?_

It hadn’t escaped her notice that Kai was more than a decade younger than she was. At his age, she was in college. Making friends. Doing shit. And he was learning how to do laundry.

It felt somewhat like she was robbing the cradle, but it wasn’t like she got much of a choice.

She glanced in the mirror again. Kai was facing straight ahead, his expression blank again.

“You can get some rest if you want,” said Nicole, “It’s a bit of a drive.”

“Yes Mistress,” he replied, “I… thank you for picking me. I’m really excited to serve you.”

That brought a bit of a smile to her face, but Nicole said nothing further.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always to my lovely beta [Sanguia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanguia/pseuds/sanguia)

Alpha told it to sleep, and yet Kaius couldn't bring itself to. Leaning against the car door, feeling the rumble of the road beneath… It was intoxicating. It really, really wanted to lift the blindfold. See the outside world. The colors; the grass, the trees, the sky. 

But it had to be good. It hadn't been given permission yet, so it wouldn't. 

Her voice was like a smack to the face. It stole the breath from its lungs and made its heart do little somersaults. An _alpha_. It had gotten an _alpha._ Someone had to be smiling down at it. And she was so nice! Held it and pet it and— she'd called it a _good boy_. 

_Boy_. Did that mean it wasn't an it anymore? Maybe. Maybe not? Why would she call it that if she didn't want it to be a him? 

Omegas weren't supposed to have identities outside of their owners. A good omega didn't think too hard, didn't let their mind take over. They were supposed to cook, clean, and breed— with who depended on what bits sat between their legs. That was it. They weren't people, they were things. Objects. Its. That's why it didn't quite understand what she meant by 'what it liked'.

She was an alpha. Strong, and powerful, and amazing. She had to know that. 

She of all people would know that.

But… 

Why had she called it _boy_ if she hadn't wanted it to be? 

And the name: Kaius. That sounded like a boy's name, didn't it? 

Maybe it would allow itself to think that way, only for a minute. Only in its head. If Mistress made it clear she wanted it another way, it would obey. 

_He_ would obey. Without thought, without hesitation, because _he_ was a good omega. _He_ was a good boy. 

And _he_ had an alpha as an owner. Her scent was sharp and lovely, overwhelming his senses from the moment he'd caught it. Even now, in the car. Breathing it in made him vibrate with joy, all but jumping in his seat. 

For what had to be an hour, Kaius quietly ran his fingers over the leather seat. Feeling the seams, the lushness of the cushion. Over and over, he repeated his name. 

_Kaius. Kaius. Kaius._

He mouthed it a few times, feeling it there, and smiling. The number on his wrist was all that remained of his old name. He would be happy to never look at it again.

The fear he'd felt when the handlers had come to take him from that room, after he'd been named… Kaius tried to push that panic from his mind. He thought he had been bad. That his owner didn't want him anymore, and he was getting shoved back in his cell. It was the only time he ever put up a bit of a fight-- at least since they were still breaking him in, and it was because he was too busy sobbing to stand up. 

He hoped she didn't ask about that bit. It was embarrassing. 

The car stopped after a few sharp turns, what little light there was through the blindfold cut off by a large object. 

"Alright, let's get you inside," Mistress sighed. There was the sound of a door opening, closing, and for one agonizing second Kaius thought he was going to be left there. But then Mistress opened his door, the inverse of last time, and grabbed his hands. "Ready, Sweetheart?" 

Her voice was so close… part of him wanted nothing more than to snuggle up against her and purr and purr until the cows came home. He didn't, of course. He just nodded and followed her lead through a doorway, up some stairs, and through another doorway. 

Would he have a cell here? He knew some omegas got to sleep with their owners, only if they were really _really_ good. He doubted he had been that good yet, but he held out hope just in case.

"Just go ahead and have a seat," Mistress said, her voice moving away. There was some jostling, some keys being tossed aside. The carpet was rich and plush, so Kaius had no problem sinking to his knees. It was so much better than those hard floors of the facility. He heard Mistress' footsteps come closer. "So I— ah, shit," she said, sighing heavily.

Immediately, Kaius cringed.

Uh oh. He did something wrong, he was bad, he was in trouble, he—

"Hey, hey," Alpha cooed, and he cringed as her hands appear on him, even when it's only to gently toy with his hair. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. I just forgot myself, you aren't in trouble."

He sucked in a trembling breath, having to swallow the tears in his throat. "Sorry Mistress," he croaked. 

"Oh, you poor thing, it's alright. I'm gonna take the blindfold off now, okay?"

Promptly distracted from his fear, Kaius straightened. Mistress laughed, "Oh, he likes the sound of that, does he? Okay, just let me turn off a few lights—"

Mistress steps away again, and it gets noticeably darker around him. 

"Alrighty. You ready?" 

"Yes Mistress," he whispered. 

The blindfold was tugged off, and for a moment Kaius could only blink rapidly, eyes burning and turning wet. She was right in front of him. He didn't dare look at her, at anything. Just the floor, his hands. 

"Let's get that off too," sighed Alpha. She pulled the leather straps off his wrists, casting it aside. 

"Thank you, Mistress," he whispered. 

It was quiet for a moment. His heart was racing so hard that he thought she might be able to hear it. It was all he could do just to stare at the ground like his life depended on it. 

_Did she like him?_

_Was he cute enough?_

_What if she thought he was ugly? Or stupid? Or stupid and ugly?_

He cringed, catching movement out of the corner of his eye. It was just Alpha, touching him again. Her hands were so soft as they prodded around his face, combed through his hair. He couldn't help the whine that escaped him, nuzzling her hand and breathing in deep. 

She chuckled a bit, "You're a precious thing, aren't you."

"Thank you Mistress," he whispered.

He wanted to see her. He wanted to look out the window. He wanted to look around and _see_. The carpet was beige, a new color. Everything in the facility had been white or grey. He wanted to see color. 

Purples and reds and greens. He wanted to see them. Needed to see them. 

But Mistress hadn't told him he could yet, so he kept his head down. 

"C'mon," Mistress said, patting his cheek, "I'll show you where you'll be sleeping."

"Yes Ma'am," Kaius said, quickly climbing to his feet. When Alpha didn't immediately respond, it only took him a second to realize what he did wrong. His heart sunk, and he dropped back to his knees. "Oh, god— I'm sorry, Alpha— I didn't—" he rambled desperately, "I'm sorry, I—"

"Whoa, whoa, what?" Mistress grabbed him by the shoulders, "What's the matter?" 

Kaius struggled to swallow, his eyes welling with tears, "Not— I'm not supposed to get up without permission. I'm— I'm bad, I'm sorry Alpha—"

Mistress shushed him, sharp enough that he clamped his mouth shut. "Hush now, it's alright," she promised, "I'm not mad. It's okay, I'm not mad."

He sucked down a ragged, stuttering breath. Mistress reached for him and he flinched away, immediately expecting a boatload pain. A muzzle, shackles, maybe even the— the _collar_ again. Freezing cold water, hot metal—

Alpha sighed, snapping him out if it. Kaius forced himself to breathe, to not make himself look even more like an idiot than he already had. Alpha patted his cheek, and Kai forced himself not to shy away. "They really got you guys beaten like dogs, hm?" She huffed. 

"Sorry Alpha," he whispered.

"... Come on, Sweetheart. Look at me." 

He looked up, at her neck. She had a pretty necklace. Maybe a tattoo? There were some black lines creeping out from under her shirt. And… her hair was long, curly, yellow like what he imagined the sun to look like.

"No, Kai. My face." 

Kaius stiffened, muscles locking. Look at her? Was— was he allowed? She said, so maybe…? 

Omegas weren't supposed to look at the owners. At least not their faces. Around, outside, sure. But their owners? Their _faces_ ? That's a big no-no. And he was already _so_ bad. 

"Kaius," she said, warningly. 

"Can't," he rasped, "Not allowed."

"Who says?" 

Was this a test? It had to be a test. 

No alpha would want an omega to look at their face. 

… she really thought he was stupid, didn't she?

"It's against the rules, Mistress," murmured Kaius. 

His heart was pounding louder and louder and louder. Waiting. Waiting for her to get mad. Waiting for her to yell at him. Even though he obeyed the rules he disobeyed her command. It was the first thing they taught him. Sometimes owners got mad at you for doing the right thing at the wrong time. 

It was their place to exercise that rage, and it was his place to take it and keep trying to be good. 

But Mistress just sighed again. "Okay, fine. Just get up. Can't be comfortable down there."

Kaius frowned, obediently climbing to his feet. 

She _wasn't_ mad? She didn't even smell like it.

His head was spinning. 

Following Mistress down a hallways— his feet relishing in the soft carpet the whole while— Kaius tried to make sense of this. Then, he reminded himself not to think so hard. It wasn't his job to think. 

They walked into a bedroom that smelled like Alpha and perfume. He wanted to crawl into her bed and sleep forever. 

Except he doubted the one time he would be allowed to lie in that bed would involve sleeping. 

Alpha opened another door to a small square room, and he just about got the wind sucked out of him. "I hope you appreciate it," she said wryly, "I finally had to downsize my closet to make room for you."

There was no toilet or sink, but there was a bed. Not— not a cot, but a _bed_. Small, not very long. But it was tall, plush with more blankets and pillows than he had ever seen. 

"I read online that omegas need to nest to feel safe, the smaller the room the better. So…?"

He couldn't speak. Couldn't form the words. All he could do was stand there, staring. Staring at all the colors. The purple sheets, the blue and pink pillow cases. And there was something else, another object sitting on the bed. 

"Alpha," he said, surprised to find his voice raw with emotion, "I'm sorry but what's— what is that?" 

"What's what?" 

He pointed, feeling himself flush bright red as Mistress chuckled. "Sweetheart, that's stuffed animal."

Kai tilted his head, swallowing hard, "What's that mean?" 

She walked past him to pick it up, holding it out for him to see. The thing was black, with triangular ears and a long tail, two little green orbs staring at him from what had to be its face. When he didn't immediately respond, Mistress frowned— he saw it out of his peripheral. 

"You don't know what a stuffed animal is?"

"I…." He was really, _really_ stupid. "I might? But I… I haven't seen one since I was really little. What is it… supposed to be?"

"It's supposed to be a cat," breathed Mistress. "Does it not look like one?"

"Dunno," he admitted, "I don't remember what a… what cat looks like." 

"You don't remember…" Mistress echoed. Her scent changed, tinted with disappointment. Kaius jolted, realized just how horribly ungrateful he was being. 

"B-but it's lovely, Alpha. It's really really pretty. Thank you so so much. Am I allowed—?" He reached out as if he might take it should she let him him. She did, and as soon as his fingers brushed the fur he was hit with the unbelievable urge to— to hold it. Snuggle it. It was such an unfamiliar sensation, his brow tightening as he carefully clutched it to his chest. 

Mistress smiled softly, though her scent didn't change. "I read that omegas like stuffed animals too. Sorry if that was incorrect."

"It's… it's not," Kaius admitted, squeezing the cat a little tighter. "I've just never— never really had one."

"Or seen a cat?" She asks. He thinks she might be raising a brow. 

He laughed a little bit, "Not in a really long time."

"Well, I have a cat." 

"What?" He gasped, "You— you have one?" 

Mistress nodded, chuckling a bit, "Yes. She's a hairless thing, so she's not as soft, but you'll like her. I think she's hiding." 

Kai found himself smiling as well, peering around the room. It was just a bit bigger than his cell. "I'll be honored to take care of her, if Alpha wants me to." 

She snorted, the smokey smell of upset alpha quickly fading. "It'll be a part of your duties. But for now, do you want to try out the bed?" 

His heart skipped a beat. "If Alpha thinks I deserve it."

"I don't see why not," she hummed, "Go ahead."

Bouncing on his toes, Kaius took a step towards the bed. Only for a hand on his backside to stop him in his place. It was light, not painful. Alpha gave it a little squeeze, and from a glance her way, he could see her smirk. 

"Just a sec, Sweetheart," Mistress murmured. She stepped up behind him, pressed her nose to the crook of his neck. Her breath, warm on his skin, made his shiver as her other hand braced his hip. 

She groaned, her teeth lightly scraping. "You smell so good."

Kai whimpered, bared his throat. His mind quieted as he melted against her warm body, relishing in these kind, affectionate touches. It was just him and his alpha. _His_ alpha. Murmuring against him, Alpha cooed softly, no doubt imagining the moment her teeth would break his skin and leave a long lasting scar. 

He shivered at the thought of that moment. The moment he had dreamed of his entire life. 

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Alpha said, clearing her throat and stepping away, he thought she might be blushing. Giving his ass a little pat, she swallowed, "Couldn't help myself. Go on and try it."

Kaius had swallow again, his mouth a little dry. "I am yours, Alpha. You can do whatever you like to me."

"Yes, well, that bit's gotta wait. At least until you get settled in. Go on, lie down."

Nodding, Kaius maneuvered the cat under his arm and tentatively brushed his fingers along the blankets. They too were soft, softer than anything the facility had provided him with. He lied down, and promptly _moaned_ in comfort. Every part of him was supported by a cloud-soft mattress, pillows plush and lovely and perfect. 

"I take it you like it then?" Mistress laughed from nearby. 

"Yes, Mistress," he rasped, turning red as he found himself getting a little choked up. He looked at his alpha, enough to see her moon white smile. Something cracked in his chest, and no matter how hard he squeezed the cat, Kaius couldn't stop the tears that started down his face. 

Alpha took a step towards him, her smile dimming. Jolting, Kaius sat up, wiped his face, and threw on the biggest, most desperate smile he could muster. "It's so so amazing, Mistress. I don't know how to thank you."

She… was not convinced. "It's alright if you don't like it," she sighed.

_Oh no, oh no, oh no_.

"It might be the mattress. I got the softest one I could, I read you guys like that sort of thing, but if it's not—"

Her scent was back to upset, worse this time. It made him nauseous, made his head spin so much more than before. 

_She's mad. She's mad. I'm bad, I didn't tell her thank you quick enough. She's gonna take it away she's gonna take it all away._

"No!" He yelped, scrambling to his feet just so he could throw himself at hers. "No, no, I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he groveled, his brow to her toes. "I'm sorry, I love it, I love it, I— please don't take it away. Please— thank you, Alpha, thank you thank you thank you—"

His ramblings were cut off by two strong hands under his arms, hauling him upright. His mind went white with terror, and he just froze. 

Kaius waited, stiff and trembling with his eyes squeezed shut, for her to bark at him. Call him ungrateful. Worthless. To call him _it_. To take it all away and make him sleep in a cold cot. 

He waited for the smack, kick, his head thrown into the wall. He braced for the hollow thunk of his own skull on concrete, the taste of copper and dizziness afterwards. 

None of that happened. Not even the yelling bit. Because all Alpha did was pull him into a hug. And squeeze until he couldn't think anymore. 

\---

  
  


She didn't know what to do. Nothing had prepared her for— for this. 

Her boy. On the ground, at her feet, begging and pleading like his life depended on it. Because… what? Because he thought she might take it all away?

Nicole ran her fingers through his hair, gritting her teeth as she tried to figure out _what to do_. She went with her first and only plan, which was to scoop him up and squeeze the lights out of him. It quieted his tears, but his heart still beat against hers like a terrified rabbit's. And his shaking… tiny, frightened little things that came every other breath. More like spasms. He didn't clutch at her, didn't nuzzle close. He just stood there. Shocked still. 

"It's alright, Sweetheart. It's alright," she whispered. It was an effort to calm herself, knowing her scent might be half his problem. That is, if he could smell it over his own. The sickly sweet smell of fear was going to permeate throughout the entire apartment building. She'd be lucky if management didn't get complaints. 

"S-sorry," Kai stammered. Nicole just shushed him again. 

When he was blinking again, and the scent was no longer mind numbing, Nicole held him out at arm's length. He avoided her eye, gaze on her feet. She couldn't help the little scoffing noise she made, though she regretted it at Kai's flinch. 

"Okay, okay," she breathed, and walked him back to sit him on the bed. "Can you tell me what that was? What went wrong?"

Kai gripped the comforter, the cat lying abandoned behind him. "I— I'm supposed to say thank you all the time. Every nice thing, I'm supposed to say thank you."

Nicole narrowed her eyes. "You did."

"Not quick enough," he said miserably, "Not fast enough. Now I look ungrateful. An' you're gonna take everything away and regret ever giving it to me because I'm a bad and stupid omega."

She blinked. Blinked again. 

"Bad and stupid," echoed Nicole. Kai nodded emphatically, though she didn't miss the fresh tears down his face. 

"So bad. Only the worst omega let their owners feel— feel unappreciated. I'm— I'm _so_ bad, so awful. Terrible, useless— I'm so sorry Alpha."

_Um._

_What the fuck._

"So you didn't say thank you enough," she surmised, voice carefully controlled, "Okay. Well. I…"

She had to stop speaking for a moment as another wave of _what the fucking fuck_ washed through her. 

_Who the fuck—_

_For what purpose—_

_Whose dick was so small—_

She couldn't fathom it. Absolutely could not. Never in all her life had she heard such cruel words come out of an omega's own mouth. For fuck's sake, there were omega in her family! They were at every family gathering. And they never— never spoke about themselves like this. 

_I'm leaving a bad review on Yelp._

Whoever had taught this boy such terrible things needed a firm kick in the nards. 

Rolling her shoulders, Nicole swallowed. Said, "Okay, enough of that." She was just going to pretend Kai didn't shrink away. "First of all, you're not a bad omega, okay? You're a good boy. A damn good boy."

He looked down, shying away as she closed the distance between them. It was all she could think to do, placing her face right in front of his. When she commanded him to look, he didn't have much of a choice. Even if it clearly terrified him, Nicole met his gaze. Kept her breathing even. Her voice calm. 

"You are a good boy," she promised, "You're not bad, or stupid, or useless. No more of that nonsense. Got it?"

Nodding quickly, Kai tried to avert his gaze but Nicole grabbed him by the chin, forced him to meet her eyes again. "Scent me, Sweetheart," she whispered, "Do I smell mad? Like I want to punish you?"

"N…. No," he admitted timidly. 

"Then why do you think I'm going to?"

Throat bobbing, Kai kicked his lips. He looked so small. So pathetic. Was this the same boy that had whined against her earlier? 

"Why, Kaius?" She asked again. 

"Cause…" he started shaking again, started trying to look away, "Cause that's what— what happens…"

"Where?"

"At the— the facility…"

"And are you at the facility?" 

"No…" he swallowed, "No. I'm sorry, I'm…"

Nicole kissed him. Just a simple chaste thing, but it was enough to strike the words off his lips. 

"That's right. You're with me," she said softly, "You're mine now. What I say goes. Right?"

He nodded rapidly, squirming. "Yes Alpha. I'm sorry."

She brushed some of his hair from his face, surprised at the protectiveness that had roused in her chest. The need to stop his tears, to promise him the world. To mark him, and keep him safe from the assholes that made him this way. "You're not in trouble Kai," she told him, "You aren't. You've done nothing wrong."

"Does… does that mean I can keep this stuff?"

She was going to sigh all the air out of her lungs before the day was up. "Yes, Sweetheart. All of it's yours, it stays in here." 

At that, he finally began uncurling, blinking away the rest of his tears. "Okay," he said simply, as if that was that. "I'm really sorry. I don't— I don't want you to think I can't take punishment without—"

Nicole shushed him again. Pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. Her lips against his skin, she said, "You're a good boy. You've just had a rough day is all. A lot of new stuff, a lot of scary things. That's all, yeah?"

Again, he nodded sharply, and Nicole could taste his sweat.

Withdrawing, Nicole rubbed the back of her neck. "It's recommended I leave you be for a few hours, to let you decompress. You want that?"

From the look in his eyes, and the way he shamefully ducked his head, Nicole had her answer.

"Okay, I'm gonna go for a bit," she breathed, "You— I want you to nap. Make yourself comfy, get under the covers, whatever. I'll come and get you when I need you." 

In a meek, itty bitty voice, Kai said, "Yes Alpha. I hope I can be of some use to you when I'm— I'm doing better."

Nicole nodded a few times. She patted his head, her instincts purring as Kai nuzzled her palm, and waited until he had actually climbed under the covers to walk out. Closing the door, she sank against it. Put her face in her hands. 

She was in way over her head. She should have tried to get one of those omega-exception forms, because she definitely wasn't cut out for this. 

_@ the County Omega Facility, I'm gonna leave you the worst Yelp review of your existence._

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta Sanguia!

It wakes, and doesn't know where it is. There are no blinding lights, no chiming of an alarm. Just… quiet. 

It can't help but begin trembling. 

Did it wake too early? That's never happened before. It's always been too tired, too drained, not to sleep every second it's allowed. But this doesn't feel like its cell. The cot is so soft, and long enough that it doesn't have to sleep scrunched up. 

No, it's not a cot. It's too plush. It doesn't bow to its weight. 

The change is unexpected, scaring it even more. 

_What happened?_

_Where am I?_

It looks over, spies a strip of light that makes its heart jump. _A door._ That's not right either. Its cell was light-tight. Pitch black or burning bright, not this… soft yellow glow. Moving its legs, it finds the blanket mind numbingly soft, knee bumping against something equally as nice. 

The omega grabs it, tentative. Feels the soft fake fur.

_Cat,_ its mind supplies, _it's that stuffed cat._

But it didn't have a stuffed cat? 

It drops the cat like a hot iron, knocking it away. What is going _on?_

It's not supposed to have this stuff. Is it contraband? Did one of the handlers leave it here? 

Is this a test? To prove it knows its place?

And then it remembers. 

Then _he_ remembers. 

Kai slumps to the bed with a great, heaving breath. His body trembling, slick with cold sweat, he dared to draw the covers up and closer. From the other side of the wall, he can hear voices. Multiple. Maybe a television set? Or does Alpha have company?

Alpha. He's supposed to call her Mistress, or Ma'am, but he can't help but call her what she is. 

His throat bobs. An _alpha_ wanted him. Wants him. 

He had never met an alpha. They were so rare, especially compared to omegas. One alpha to every two hundred omegas, he recalls from one of his tutors. They were different than betas. Stronger, faster, smarter…

Bigger. 

Alpha was bigger. Much, much bigger. Built like a house, from what he'd glimpsed— he'd gone cross eyed on purpose when she forced him to look, trying to be good. Broad shoulders, muscular arms; taller than any beta he had ever seen. She could crush him with a single hand. 

Alphas were also known to be more volatile. Quicker to anger, quicker to snap. Absolutely no tolerance for nonsense. 

And yet she'd coddled him. Cooed to him. Given him a name, and a bed, and let him _be_ a him. Of course all alphas couldn't be the same. Just like some omegas were immediately good at submitting and others had to be taught. But he wondered— a dangerous pastime for omegas— where the stereotypes ended and Mistress began. She was already softer, that much was obvious. 

Maybe she was just mellow. Secure in her territory. Maybe she didn't feel the need to snap him like a twig because she knew she could. 

Despite himself, Kaius shivered with trepidation. He wanted her to be nice. If she wasn't, he could deal with it. It was his job. But he hoped she would be. 

His hands drifted to his neck, where the shock collar had sat for most of his life. Unfortunately, he had been the type to fight. Now that he was older, now that he understood, it was the source of his greatest shame. 

All the biting, and the thrashing… it hadn't gotten him anywhere. Just had that collar locked around his throat. 

If he tried hard enough, he could find the scars left behind by those two metal bits. Just above his collar bones. They're rough, uneven beneath his touch. Ugly. Gross. Surgery had helped to hide them but they were still there. 

Tears sprang to his eyes, shame burning brighter than those blinding white lights. He had been so _bad_. Garbage. His handlers hadn't been able to look away for a moment without him causing some sort of trouble. They had to shock him so often… he remembers countless visits in bleak white rooms, people testing his eyes, his hearing. Making sure his memory hadn't been affected. 

He bites into his palm, right above the tattoo, hiccupping like a stupid child.

So much pain. He still feels it, even years later. It haunted his every step of the facility. Every click of that remote meant pain, and even to this day the click of a light switch is enough to make his mind flash white. And when the concern for his health had gotten so high, they changed tactics to something so, _so_ much worse. Even skirting passed those memories makes him choke on sob. 

It's his own fault. It's what he gets for being such a terrible omega all those years. 

He just wished he hadn't done it. Because thinking about it in his soft bed, just a few feet from his new owner, makes him nauseous. There was no way she knew. Or else she never would have picked him.

He flinches as someone knocks on the door, hurriedly wiping the tears from his face.

"U-um—" he didn't know what to say. No one had ever knocked before. 

Thankfully, Alpha opened the door just a second later. She smiled at him, and his insides turned to jelly. "Sorry if I woke you. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

Backed into the corner of his bed, Kai quivers. It feels like he's been caught doing something wrong.

"I-I'm fine, Alpha," Kai whispers, staring at the ground, "I'm sorry, was I—"

Alpha sighs, and his heart sinks. He can't help but shy away as she approaches, forcing himself to stay as still as possible as she reached for his face. 

_I was bad. I was bad. I was—_

Thumbing his cheeks, Alpha gets close enough that he can feel her breath. "You've been crying," she mumbled. Kai swallows. Omegas aren't really supposed to cry either, but that's a rule he's never managed to follow. 

"Woke up bad," he admits meekly. "Had some— some bad thoughts, Alpha."

Mistress tilts her head. "Bad thoughts?"

He swallows hard, breath catching. "Thinking about— about stuff I'm not supposed to."

"Like what?" She asks. Her voice is low, like he's not in trouble. Still, he feels nervous. 

"Like…" he licks his lips, feels them tremble. Her hands are so warm on his face. He wants more. Wants her to touch him more. Wants her to hold him, cuddle him, keep him safe. But she won't, because he doesn't deserve it. Because he's bad. Because he can't bring himself to tell her how god awful he used to be. So, in his first lie in three years, Kai squeaks, "Like I was back there, and I was in trouble."

It's barely a lie. It still burns as he says it. Especially as Alpha's face twists in sympathy, and she plants a kiss right between his eyes. 

"You poor thing," she murmurs, "You're shaking like a chihuahua. Come on, want to watch a movie with me?"

The question is so absurd it shocks him out of his tears. He must have misheard her. 

Alpha snorts, her hands falling to his arms. "I take that as a no?" 

His face must have given it away. "I-I'm not…" he swallows again, harder this time. "I'm not allowed to watch movies."

"Oh yeah? Says who?"

"The—" he licks his lips, ducks his head. "The facility."

It was the wrong thing to say. Mistress' scent immediately sours, her expression tightening. "Uh huh. Okay, well, I don't like this facility talk." Her grip on him tightens, almost to the point of pain. Kai tried desperately to shrink away, an apology already on his lips, but Alpha held him firm. "Where are you, Kaius?"

"I-In y-your closet, Alpha?" He mewled. 

Mistress nods. "And who makes the rules?" 

Fresh tears swelling in the back of his throat, Kai whimpered, "You— you do, Alpha." 

"So why do you insist on doing what the facility says?" 

He froze, heart in his heart in his throat. 

Alpha went on. "I make the rules, don't I?"

Nodding urgently, Kai blurted. "Yes! Yes, Alpha. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I—"

Mistress swallowed carefully. He swore he could hear her teeth grinding. 

_Bad, bad, bad, bad bad bad…_

"You know what I say goes, don't you?" 

"Y-yes, Alpha."

She released a long breath, her shoulders sagging. "So, let's make a rule: you obey me before you do the facility. If I want you to watch a movie, you can. Make sense?"

"Yes, Alpha," he whined. "I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be bad, I just…"

"I know. I know, it's all new to you," she sighed. He jerks as her hands come at him, but they just go to his hair. For a moment he lets his eyes flutter shut, fighting against the quivering in his lips, and just accepts her touch. 

_Bad._

_Useless. Worthless._

Alpha kisses him again, and he manages not to cringe.

_You deserve to suffer, you fucking bitch._ The voice rings through his mind, a knife to his chest. _You deserve to suffer. You're built for it._

"Come watch a movie with me," murmurs Alpha, her lips soft and warm against his skin. "I want to get to know my boy better."

And even though he's bad— so, so bad— hearing her say that make his stomach flutter.

"Yes Mistress," he replies, finally using the right title. "If— If you say it's okay."

Finally, Alpha smiles. Kai can't stop trembling, even as she pulls him to his feet, even as she coos, and kisses the top of his head three times.

He's pulled out into the living area by a gentle hand on his wrist. Alpha points, and he goes to his knees right by the couch. He relaxes almost immediately, the position familiar and comfortable. Really, he would kneel all day if it were possible. Especially on this carpet. 

"So, Kai," Mistress drawls as she sits down. Thankfully, her voice is smooth and warm, like before. "What can you tell me about yourself?"

He resists the urge to fidget, instead forcing his hands flat on his thighs. Really, he doesn't quite know what to say. There's not a lot to him, to omega in general. It's done that way on purpose. "I was labeled MO-22894 when I was acquired," he offers lamely. 

"What does that mean? Em-Oh two two— whatever."

"MO-22894," he corrects, tentatively. The numbers on his wrist flicker with an old pain. "It's— it's just our batch number. The MO stands for Male Omega. 2289 is the actual batch, and 4 is just which one I was."

Alpha makes a noise of consideration, leaning back against the couch's back. It's a hazy brown, almost matching the carpet. Almost matching her hair, just a little darker. 

"Did you get to see the others in your 'batch'?"

Kaius nods, averting his eyes to the floor. "Yes Mistress. For the first two— I think— two years, we're with all the new acquisitions. Then another five we're with our batch. Then the last three years we're on our own. Usually one on one with the— the handlers."

"So you haven't seen another omega in three years?" 

"Not really," he swallows, "In passing, maybe in a hallway or something, but we were never allowed to speak."

"What did they teach you, while you're there?" She asks, frowning again. He doesn't like it when she does that.

"Not a… not a whole lot," Kai hedges. "It's mostly cooking, cleaning, household tasks."

"It takes ten years to teach that?" 

He swallows, face burning. "No, Mistress. But it takes ten years to get really good at it." 

Nodding, Alpha pets him again. Just gentle little scratches but it makes his heart sing, nuzzling into her touch as much as he could. 

He could do this all day, too. 

"What else?"

His cheek pressed to her palm, Kai pauses. "What— what else, Mistress?"

Alpha gives him a bright smile. He thinks her eyes might be blue, or green. "You said mostly. What else do they teach you?"

He frowns, thinks of bondage, and pain. 

_You're nothing. You're less than nothing, you hear?_

_Say it._

_Say it, you piece of shit!_

_Johnny, number 4's at it again. Give it another zap._

"Just… helping us learn our place," Kai says carefully, "Some take to it like a duck to water, others don't."

Mistress nods again, attention elsewhere as she pulls something out from between the couch cushions. His mind whiting out, Kai grits his teeth as hard as he can—

He waits for the scream. Waits for pain, waits for anger, waits for fear and regret and _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please god I'm sorry—_

"Kai?"

It's Alpha. He waits, waits. Stiff as a board, he _waits_. 

But the pain doesn't come. And he remembers he's not wearing a collar. Cracking open an eye, he sees Alpha, sees the remote in her hand. It's black and sleek, like the one that they used on him, but it's longer. And instead of one big red button and a dial, there's dozens of small ones. 

"You with me?" Alpha asks. He sags, bowing his head. 

_You're an idiot._

"Yes, Mistress," he replies, "I'm sorry."

She hits a button on the remote, and there is no zap. The TV turns on, some people talking, but her eyes are on him. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Got scared."

"Mhm, I gathered. Why?"

"The— the—" he stammers over it, because it's so stupid. Alpha is kind, and he hasn't been bad, and _he's not wearing a fucking collar._ And then he has to grit his teeth again, because he thought of a swear and that always got another shock. 

But Alpha can't read his mind yet.

And there's no collar. 

Finally, he manages to say, "The remote, Mistress. I got confused, I'm sorry."

Alpha makes a weird face, peering over the remote like it holds a secret. "The remote, eh? Did you think I was going to hit you?"

"Yes, Mistress," he says before he can think. It's another lie, a real lie this time. It makes his eyes burn, makes him want to scream.

_Bad._

_Wires on his chest, a needle moving across paper._

_Another lie, eh? You know what that means._

She set the remote aside and then there are hands under his arms, hauling him up, up, until he's pulled against the warm, hard body of an alpha. It even _feels_ different to the touch, like there's Something Else beneath her skin. She's soft, especially in the front, but it's like there's brick hidden there. Though that isn't really what he's thinking about. Not that, or the fact that he's technically on furniture and that is super not allowed and would have earned him an hour of pain at least.

No, all Kai can think about is her heartbeat. The arms wrapped around his front. The head resting on his shoulder, a cheek on his. The feeling of the couch beneath his bare feet. 

All fear abates, leaving him a warm gooey mess. 

_Alpha._

_Alpha._

_Mine._

_Mine._

She does something with the remote, puts on a movie with people jumping and strange glowing sticks. There are captions at the bottom of the screen, some words he recognizes but really, Kai isn't focused on reading. He probably wouldn't have been able to if he tried. It's just him and his Mistress. 

He's bad. He's always had bad thoughts, even after— even after all of his training. And he knows it must show, there must be something about him that's different. There's no way Alpha can't know how garbage he truly is.

And yet she picked him anyways. And yet she holds him, nuzzles his neck, kisses at the place would soon be scarred with her mark. 

He wants to be hers. Truly hers, down to the blood and bone. He wants to hurt for her. Wants her to take him and make him hers. 

He can't wait. 

He really, really can't fucking wait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All comments and kudos are appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [Sanguia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanguia/pseuds/sanguia) for beta'ing.

They stay there until the movie ends, and the sky is pitch black outside. Kai hasn't moved a muscle in her arms, hardly even seeming to breathe. It took her a minute to realize he was actually sleeping. 

Sleeping. In her arms. 

She supposed it had been quite a day for him. He had to be exhausted. And honestly? Nicole was too. No omega had ever behaved this way around her. Flinching and cringing and crying. 

It was sucking the life out of her.

But not long after she left Kai in his nest, she realized that none of her omega family actually lived anywhere nearby. In fact, most of them lived in the New England area, where facility training wasn't compulsory. And she'd remembered how Aunt Denise had upped and disappeared shortly after her second child presented as an omega at age nine, only to reappear in Boston some months later. 

It left her feeling hollow, and icky. Not only was Kai a decade and a half younger than she was, but there was something… decidedly pathetic about him. For god's sake, he didn't know what a _cat_ was.

None of her family had ever gone through a facility before. They all spoke normally, met her eye, didn't flinch when she moved. There were classes, but nothing that held them captive for ten years…. Though, she couldn't know for sure. She might never actually know, especially if it happened while she was young. Omega children were rarely spoken of or heard from again; vanishing for a decade, only to appear as someone else under a different name. And though she had lived between there her entire life, she hadn't really interacted with any other omega up until the day she got Kai. 

Did he have another name? Once, many moons ago, did he go by something else? 

She'd caught a partial glimpse of the tattoo on the inside of his wrist, so old it was stretched and blue instead of black. 

_He must have still been young when they did that._

The thought made her stomach churn.

And the shit with the remote? Fuck. 

Nicole moved to turn the TV off, and he stirred in her arms. Just the slightest mumbling, a little but of squirming, but still she felt the need to kiss his cheek. "It's okay, Sweetheart," she breathed, "It's alright."

"Is it time?" He murmured. 

"Time for what?"

Kai yawned, rolled his head to the side, to expose the smooth length of his neck. 

Her face burned bright red. Ah yes, that. 

Brushing some of Kai's hair out of his face, Nicole pondered that piece of skin. She couldn't deny the pull, the desperate urge to claim what was hers. And yet…

"I don't know," she breathed, "How are you feeling?"

He blinked a few times, rapidly coming awake in just a few seconds. "Oh, I'm fine, Mistress. Better than fine."

Nicole wasn't all that convinced, saying, "Are you sure? It's alright if you would rather wait. I've got tomorrow and the next day off."

She didn't miss the shiver that ran down his spine. "Whatever Alpha wants," he whispered, "But I'm ready, if you want me. I'm so, _so_ ready."

She bit her lip, also unable to deny the heat pooling in her gut. 

"Okay," she said at last, "Okay, we'll do it, but…" 

_But I don't want to hurt you._

_But I don't want to fuck you._

_But I want to do this right._

"But I'm not up for the second bit tonight," she admitted. 

Kai looked at her, innocent as a dove, eyes sparkling. "Second bit, Mistress?"

"The, ehm, the sex," she swallowed. 

"... Okay," Kai agreed, an edge of tentativeness to his voice. "Okay. That's okay, Mistress. Whatever you think is best."

_At least then I won't feel like a monster._

"Let's get you to the bedroom, we can do it there," mumbled Nicole. Kai nodded and stood at her request, fingers twitching at his sides. She sighed, "What is it?"

He looked at her in alarm. "Alpha?"

"Your scent, you're upset.

He pinked. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Tell me why." 

"Just… nervous," Kai mumbled. "I don't— don't know what I'm supposed to do."

"No one ever told you?"

"Not— not really. I just… I know I'm supposed to lie there and let you do whatever but I— is that—?"

_Ten years in that place and he's still more clueless than a mouse._

"You don't have to do anything, Kai," she assured, taking pity on the poor, trembling creature. "Lying there will work just fine. If I need anything else, I'll tell you."

Thankfully, Kai let out a breath of relief and began smiling again. "Okay. Thank you, Mistress."

As they progressed to her room, Nicole found herself clenching her jaw. Imagining him, marked with her teeth, writhing and whining below her. It set her instincts on fire. 

She had never fucked an omega before. Only meek, barely-there betas. Nor had she ever bitten anyone. And while she wasn't fucking Kai tonight— and not for a good long while, she told herself— there was something equally as intimate in a marking. It fed something primal within her. Made her want to grab him and pin him to the bed. 

"Are you sure you're ready?" She pressed, "It's going to hurt. Like, a lot. Are you sure you can handle it?"

But Kai just kept nodding, over and over and over. "Yes Mistress, I can take it. I want it."

She grit her teeth and, catching Kai by the wrist, spun him around to face her. "I need you to be absolutely certain," she said, voice low, "Because if I do it and you wig the fuck out, it can go bad. I'll be way too close to your carotid artery for you _not_ to be ready." 

She expected him to quail, to shrink away and tremble like a downed dog. But while Kai ducked his head, he definitely did not shy away. If anything, he seemed… bolder. As if he felt more certain here than anywhere else. 

"I know, Alpha. But I want it, I want to be yours."

Nicole forced him to look at her, a hand on his jaw, and sought any hint of a lie in his face. She found none. 

"Fine," she relented at last. "Ditch the shirt, and get a towel from the hallway closet. Lay it over the pillows."

Kai nodded, scampering off like an eager rabbit. Heading into the bathroom, Nicole staged a roll of gauze and some antiseptic fluid on the counter. There was going to be a lot of blood; she needed to be ready.

Every beta and alpha learned about bites during their sex education course, even if it was rather unnecessary. It was usually done during a good, hard fucking, when the mind was far too gone. It was an instinctive thing. Not something that could be taught, exactly. 

But she couldn't bring herself to fuck him just yet, so it was going to be different. More… calculated. She wanted to minimize as much risk as possible. 

Unfortunately for both of them, it was the female-led relationships that sported the most risk. They usually bite from the front, while males from the back. Depending on the position, of course. 

"Ready, Sweetheart?" she asked, as she walked back in. Kai was standing there, naked from the waist up. He truly was gorgeous, that waistline on full display. If she were a male alpha, massive like a tank, she might have been able to encircle it with both her hands. And the way he was smiling… it almost made her purr. 

"Yes, Mistress," he said, voice low and rough, "Please, make me yours."

And that? That made her eager to get on with it

She jabbed a finger in the direction of the bed, "Lie down, over the towel."

He obeyed. For a moment, Nicole stood at the base of her bed, staring at him. At his lean, perfect body. At the complete peace on his features, the relaxed curve of his lips. 

A doll. A perfect, beautiful doll. 

Under her breath, she hissed, "Mine."

Kai's lashes fluttered, two dark smears against his pale skin, and whispered in reply, "Yours."

That was all she needed. Nicole shed her shirt, tossing it aside, and prowled across the bed towards him. He didn't flinch, didn't cower. Just stayed completely still. Watching her from beneath his lashes. 

Sliding over top of him, the warmth of his skin met hers. Smooth as silk. It made her mouth water. Made her blood heat. 

"Tilt your head," she commanded. He did, but Nicole grabbed his chin and pushed it a little further. Putting some distance between her and potential disaster. And then it was just her and that unmarred stretch of skin. Ripe for her taking. There was a rasping of breath in the room, Nicole only realizing it was her when Kai cracked open an eye. 

"E-Everything okay, Alpha?" He whispered. 

Nicole swallowed, her face too warm. Her body too warm. 

She wanted to eat him alive. 

"Yeah," she whispered, voice raw, "Yeah. You're just— you're just so beautiful. So perfect."

And damn, if that wasn't the best thing to say. Because Kai's face split into a massive grin, big enough to outshine the moon. 

"You think so?"

She nodded, lowering herself so she straddled his hips, pressing their chests together as she murmured, "I think you're magnificent. I couldn't have made a prettier boy if I tried."

She could feel his breathing, the hammer of his heartbeat against hers. 

_Mine._

_Mine._

_Mine._

"You ready?" She asked again. 

Even now, there was a strange, heady sensation floating through her. As if her mind was going elsewhere. As if her teeth were getting sharper, her fingers melding into claws. 

As if being so close to an omega, unclaimed but meant to be hers, was enough to drive her mad.

All she wanted was to take, take, _take._ Make him hers. Even if they didn't fuck, even if he was fifteen years younger than her, she could make him hers. 

She would make him hers. 

"Yes, Alpha," Kai replied, in his lovely, sweet voice. 

Nicole nodded only once before she gave in, and drove her teeth through his skin. 

She tasted blood, and sweat. It exploded through her senses, blocking out the world and ringing through her ears. It was like being back in college, flying high on whatever bullshit her roommate scored. Floating through nothing. 

It was incredible.

Vaguely, she was aware of Kai squirming feebly beneath her. Of his whining— or maybe moaning? He was grasping at her; her arms, her back, her shoulders. Shuddering and panting hard, Nicole withdrew. And beheld the mess she made. 

"Holy fuck," she whispered. There was blood all over his throat, already running down to the towel. It was in her mouth, smeared on her face.

Kai seemed to be in a haze, blinking blearily. "A-Alpha?" He mumbled, and reached towards the wound. Batting his hand away, Nicole commanded him to keep still, before she retrieved her bandages. It was a simple matter of wrapping his neck several times, and pressing a firm hand again it for a good few minutes. 

She was still shaking by the time Kai came out of it, staring wide eyed at the wall. 

"Was it like you hoped?" She asked quietly. 

Kai nodded, licked his lips. "Better," he whispered, then grimacing, he added, "Worse. I— I didn't think it would hurt so bad but— but my mind it… went away for a bit. Didn't hurt so bad then."

Nicole wiped her mouth in the back of her hand, grimacing at the smudges of red. "I'm sorry," she breathed, "I tried to warn you, I—"

Kai jerked, his eyes going wide. "Oh, no, no no no! It was good, Mistress, I promise. Really, really good. It just hurt for a few seconds, that's all."

He tried to sit up, but Nicole pressed him down. "Stay," she ordered, "You move too fast and you'll eat shit like a dog. Just rest for a bit."

Kai flinched at her words, mumbling, “Yes, Alpha,” as any and all resistance leaving his body beneath her fingertips. 

Nicole straightened, wiped her hand on the towel. She was supposed to stay with him. Shock could set in after such an injury, blood loss too if it was that bad. And he would probably begin to get scared, cold, nervous, whatever. 

And yet she needed to get away. Just for a moment. 

"I'll be right back," she told him, kissing his cheek a few times. "Want some water?" 

Kai smiled again, a little more hazy than before. "Yes Alpha. Please."

So she returned to the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face to get rid of the blood. Rinsing her mouth out, scrubbing her red nails from where she'd gripped him too hard. Her hands trembled all the while, her heart clamoring in her ears. 

_He's mine. He's all mine now._

It was a terrifying though. Satisfying, yes, but really fucking terrifying too. 

Kai was hers. He bore her mark. She could do anything she wanted to him. 

This wasn't New England. She could slit Kai's throat on TV and no one would care. She didn't have to take care of him, didn't know _how_ to take care of him. 

But she wanted to. She really, really wanted to. Because now, instead of his crying face, she saw that dopey little smile of his. Open, trusting. He would take anything she gave him with the same smile. 

She needed to do right by him. She _would_ do right by him. 

Because he was hers. He was _hers._ And he was her responsibility. 

She returned with a small cup of water. If Kai were a dog he'd probably be wagging his tail all over the place, if the look he gave her was anything to go off of. Like she had hung the moon in the sky and wrote his name on it. He drank, only dribbling a little water down his cheek. Nicole dabbed it away, lifting his head to pull out the towel. It was probably ruined, but no matter. She tossed it out of the way against the wall near her shirt, and leaned over to turn off the lamp. Kai tried to sit up again, murmuring something about needing to go to his room. Nicole just pushed him down again. 

"Nuh uh," she said, shaking her head, "Not tonight. I need to make sure you're okay. You're staying with me."

Kai paused, frowning. "Then I… the floor, Mistress?" 

She huffed. "No, Sweetheart. You'll stay right here with me, all night. Just so I can make sure you're okay."

And there was that massive smile again, his eyes glittering like the night sky. "I was good?"

It was hard not to return the smile, even if she still couldn't quite get her head on straight. "Yeah, you were good— actually, you were great. Like, amazing. Come on, get under the covers. You and I need a proper sleep."

Kai went without complaint, lying flat on his back, arms at his sides. She tried not to think so hard about it, as she switched the lamp off.

There was a moment of quiet, before Kai asked, "May I speak, Mistress?" 

"Uh… Yeah, sure."

He hesitated again, for a really long while. "I'm just… really glad you like me," he said at length. "I never thought I would be good enough for an Alpha. Or— anyone, really. But you're amazing. You're— you're _so_ amazing, Alpha. I'm really, really lucky."

Despite herself, Nicole smiled into her pillow, her heart warming. "That means a lot, Kai. I'm gonna take care of you."

"I'm sorry, I'm sure you know all this," he laughed, quietly, nervously. "I just wanted you to know that I'm really grateful. And I'll never take it for granted, never ever."

"You're a good boy," Nicole yawned, and found his hand under the covers. She felt him flinch, before promptly relaxing. "Now, sleep time, yeah?"

"Yes, Alpha."

But not a minute later— "When am I supposed to wake up?" 

Huffing, she asked, "What?"

"Breakfast— am I supposed to—?"

"No, no," she shook her head, even if he couldn't see it. "I'll wake you up, don't worry about it." 

"Okay, thank you. Sorry for being annoying."

She squeezed his hand, "You're not, Sweetheart. Don't worry about it."

"Yes, Mistress," he replied. 

And after that, it was silent. 

\---

Kai woke to quiet, and an aching pain. He doesn't touch his neck, doesn't even flinch. Just waits until he can see again, around the haze in his skull. 

The room is bright, but not so much that it hurts. He looks, confused for just a moment, and sees the blue sky in the window. And below that window is his alpha. The sheets have shifted down her bare torso, gathering around her waist. He pinks immediately, looking away. 

Seeing her bare chest the night before had been enough to render him thoughtless. 

He knew about the female body. He knew how reproduction worked, what bits went where. But seeing it on a screen and seeing it less than a foot from your face were entirely different experiences. It was all Kai could do to pray he hadn't made a fool of himself. Even now, with her back to him, he feels his heartbeat quicken. 

There are little blemishes down her spine, divets and red spots, freckles spread across her shoulders like wings, a light peach fuzz catching the light...

Beautiful. Natural.

Nothing like him. 

He can't help but smooth one hand over the bare side of his neck, where those little scars still reside. The skin beneath his fingers is hairless, made so with painful treatments. And the scars themselves… most of them are gone, but some were impossible to get rid of completely. He looks at his wrists mournfully, the pink rings stark against his pale skin. 

They left those ones alone. They weren't considered ugly like the rest. 

Kai flinches as the door swings open, marked by a… meow? He leans forward, only managing to glimpse a tail as the creature vanishes around the bed. And he goes dead still as it springs onto the bed. It's small, with a pink fleshy body and black spots all over its face. 

_The cat. It's her cat_. 

He swallows hard, meeting those enormous green eyes. They stare and stare and stare into him, practically the size of saucers. He can't help but feel like he's being judged. 

But then the cat just meows again. Alpha groans, stretching out her legs. "Go 'way," she grumbled. 

She… does not. 

Kai sat there, totally horrified as the cat began _yowling_. Over and over. 

_Should I do something?_

_Am I supposed to do something?_

_What am I supposed to do?_

Alpha sighs, throwing the covers off and sitting up. "Fine, you little beast. Can't even sleep in one day, can I?" 

That was when she noticed him. "Oh," says Alpha, smiling a bit, "Sorry, did she wake you?" 

Kai swallowed, averting his eyes. "No, Mistress."

As she scratched along the cat's back, it began arching and making strange little rumbling noises. He had to admit she was kind of cute. Even if she was wrinkled and hairless. 

"This is Roe," explained Alpha, "She's a monster, but only when she's hungry."

"I could— I could feed her, Mistress," he offered. 

"You will later, but I got it today," she hummed, "You're welcome to go back to sleep if you want. How's your neck?"

Now he touches it, wincing in pain. "F-fine, Mistress," he breathed.

It's not convincing enough. Alpha smiles, and as she pats his cheek he just barely manages not to cringe. "It hurts? Okay, I'll grab some ointment. We probably need to change the bandages soon."

"Yes Mistress," he whispers. 

"How are you feeling otherwise?"

He stares at the comforter, the black fabric warm and plush in his hand. Anything to avoid thinking about her bare chest _right in front of him._

He knows he's supposed to complain, but he also doesn't want to lie again. Hesitantly, Kaius admits, "My— I'm still kind of out of it, Alpha. My head feels foggy. I'm sorry."

"That's alright, Sweetheart," says Alpha, "You rest a bit longer. I'll be right back."

She kisses him, then vanishes down the hall with Roe trotting after her. Kai stays where she left him. 

The pain in his neck makes his eyes burn. It itches, enough that he knows he would scratch it raw if he started. So he doesn't. 

He doesn't move. 

They left him like this from time to time. No tasks, no orders. Just 'running idle' as they called it; a test to see if he was properly mindless. If he fretted, if he tried to find a task to do, that meant he was thinking for himself, something bad. 

Which he never quite understood? If Mistress were to leave him alone with the orders: mop the floor, vacuum the carpet, and clean the bathroom, but forgot to mention the dirty dishes, was he just not supposed to do them? Wasn't a little bit of initiative good? 

But he's not supposed to think that hard. It's not his place. So he learned to keep his fretting on the inside, and he stopped getting hurt. 

Even if there's nothing more boring than sitting. He wants to look outside, but it hurts to move his head. So he just freaking sits there, not moving an inch. 

Alpha is speaking in the kitchen. He can't understand the words, only the tone. Rising and rising and rising. 

_She's getting angry._

A shiver runs down his spine. 

_Am I in trouble?_

_Was I supposed to follow her?_

_What did I do?_

When Alpha returns, it's by shoving the door open, hard enough that it bangs on the wall. She smells _pissed,_ and her tone is very purposefully smooth as she says, "I'm sorry, Sweetheart. But it seems like I work with total fucking morons who can't keep the place together for one day while I'm gone."

He doesn't reply. Like a brewing storm, Alpha strides over to her dresser and yanks out a drawer. "Someone fucked something up, and I need to fix it," she growls, as she rifles through brightly colored shirts. 

In a small voice, Kaius asks, "You're leaving?" 

The thought fills him with dread. He feels it all the time, but this dread is familiar in a way that makes him sick. It rushes from his stomach to his face, fills his head with a blinding ache. 

He doesn't _want_ her to leave. It's not fair. It's not fair. Can't he just spend a few hours with his owner? Why does she have to go? 

"No, I'm not. I can't," Alpha says, voice very clipped. Still, he sags in relief. She pulls out a purple shirt and tosses it on the bed, before ripping out another drawer in search of something else. "I can't leave you alone until at least twenty four hours after your bite, to make sure everything takes well. And the office is closed on weekends anyways. Which, unfortunately, means a few of my coworkers have to come here."

She fumbles trying to clip on her bra, and Kai is suddenly hit with the realization that he should do something. He should be helping. He goes to swing his legs over the bed, but Alpha rounds on him with a finger jabbed his way. 

"You stay right there," she snaps. His gut seizes, and a scream catches in his throat as she grabs his legs and pulls him down flat on the bed. His head catches on the wooden back piece, the pain sending tears to his eyes. 

_I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm sorryimsorryimsorry—_

Alpha drags the covers out from under him, only to tuck them diligently around his trembling body. 

"You need to stay horizontal for as long as possible," she tells him, "At least for fifteen hours. After a trauma like a bite, your body can't handle very much strain at all." 

He sucks in his lips to hide their trembling. Alpha's touch his gentle now, she's fretting over him, fluffing his pillow, fetching him a glass of water. She's not mad at him, he's not in trouble. But his head stings. A reminder never to move without permission.

_An omega is a tool, like a mop or a broom. It is useless on its own. It only does what its owner commands._

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart," Alpha sighed as she set a cup of water on the nightstand. "Trust me, this isn't how I wanted this day to go."

He doesn't reply, because his voice isn't warranted. Alpha doesn't need to be consoled for living her life. He is just a tool, not something to get in the way. Still, Alpha clearly feels guilty, because she leans down and kisses his forehead. Even the tiny bit of pressure hurts, but he can't keep from smiling.

"It shouldn't take too long," she said softly, "Just stay here, get some sleep. I'll make it up to you later."

"Yes, Mistress," he replies. Before she leaves Alpha draws the shades, making the room a pleasant dark. And then she closes the door. He waits, expecting the click of a lock. There is none. 

Maybe she already trusts him to do as she said. Or maybe there's just no lock.

It takes him a long time to fall asleep, even though his eyes are heavier than they've ever been. He drinks the water in one go, hoping somehow it will help. Obviously, it doesn't 

The bed is soft and the covers are warm, why is this so hard? He's never had a problem falling asleep before. 

There's the sound of a door opening at some point, and a few voices filter in. Kai makes a point of turning it out. He knows better than to eavesdrop. 

The time passes sluggishly. He doesn't know what to do with it. Running idle is normal, but for an hour? That's never happened before. 

Eventually he manages to doze. It's fitful, restless. He dreams of screaming, begging, the click of a remote. 

_There are hands on him, pulling him down._

_Trying to force him to kneel, hazel eyes wide and wet with tears._

_He won't. He can't, his legs have locked up._

_"Please, please, Four, please—"_

_There's a click, and a shriek, cut off by a sob._

_Someone laughs behind them, a voice it hates more than anything in this world._

_"You're just going to keep letting this happen, aren't you? You're a cruel creature, Number Four."_

_"Stop it,"_ _Number Four grits out, "Stop—"_

_Another scream, the buzz of electricity._

Kai wakes with a gasp, his body slick with a cold sweat. He sits up without a thought, and immediately drops back down as headache slams him blind. It's all he can do to lay there, panting, blinking away the agony in his head and heart. 

There are still voices, rising and falling. His nose twitches at the scent of angry alpha. A glance at the clock tells him it's 1:30 PM. Three hours have passed since Alpha left him alone. Suddenly, Kai becomes aware of a problem. A really, really big problem. 

He has to pee. Like, really bad. 

He wasn't supposed to get up. Alpha _told_ him not to get up. But it's been at least fifteen hours since the bite, and every second that passes in one less he has to get to the bathroom. 

What would be worse: Alpha mad at him for going to the bathroom or Alpha and at him for soiling her sheets? 

It's not really a contest. 

The headache only gets worse and worse as he forces himself upright, his legs shaky and unsteady. His vision banks to the right, Kai knocking into the nightstand and then the wall. He wants to lie down. Alpha is going to be so mad at him. He's disobeying a direct order in front of company, a beating will be the least of his concerns, but it'll be a lot worse if he stays. So Kai limps out of the room, using the wall for support, and to the bathroom just down the hall. 

He doesn't know how much privacy he's allowed, but there's company, so he closes the door all the way. Alpha can correct him later. 

After taking care of himself, Kai breathes a small sigh of relief. One disaster avoided. Diligently, he washes his hands, intent on getting back to bed shortly. So at least Alpha knows he's not just up for fun. 

It's not very fun anyways. He can't see straight around the pain in his temples, and his bite throbs and throbs like an angry monster. Straight to bed, then. Hopefully Alpha is busy, so he can get his words in order. Not a lie, of course, just an explanation.

Unfortunately, just as Kai was about to open the door, it swings open on it's own regard, and it's Alpha standing before him. 

Every single thought drains out of his head. The pain vanishes, his balance centers, his heart stops beating. The only thing left in him is pure, unending fear. 

Her face like marble and her voice just a cold, Alpha says, "What are you doing out of bed?" 

He can't answer. He opens his mouth but no words come out. What's even worse is he can't remember what he was doing, why he was so bad. He has no idea. It's like his head has become nothing more than an empty vase.

He knows something bad is going to happen. Can taste his own fear in his breath. 

"Well?" She snarls. She takes a step towards him, and Kai doesn't move. He knows better than to back away, because that might make her think he's running. And alphas will chase their prey until they catch it, through walls, through towns, through counties, and then the gates of hell will open. 

So all Kai can do is duck his head, wrap his arms protectively around his middle, and wait. Alpha gets right up to him, looming so high and tall. He squeezes his eyes shut, thinks of cats. Warm beds. Strange movies with words he can't really read. 

Anything but the punishment about to unfold. 

Because if Alpha happened to only hear the door opening and closing, she may very well think he was trying to escape. Or snooping. Or stealing.

Omegas get put down for such things. 

Alpha stoops down to his level, nearly bent double as she meets his eye. There is no kindness on her face. None of the earlier warmth. He doesn't realize he's crying until he feels her breath warming his face. 

She points, with just one finger. "Get back to bed." 

He opens his mouth to say _Yes, Alpha_ , but no words come out. 

_"Go,"_ she barks. He does, or tries to. His body moves too fast, tripping over his own feet. If Alpha didn't catch him by the shoulders, he would have broken his teeth on the door frame. It comes with a snarl, one that goes right to his core and rattles him like a baby toy. "And this is why you're supposed to stay. In. Bed!" 

Alpha wheels him around, heedless of his squeak, and drags him back to the bedroom.

"It's been more than fifteen hours," he finds himself blurting, earnestly, desperately. He can't think, can't think. All he can do is ramble, "It was more than fifteen hours! I'm sorry! I had to pee, I— I had to go, I couldn't stay— you would have killed me if I—"

Alpha effortlessly hefts him into her arms, only to drop him back onto the mattress. His head hits first, and he keens as his bite shifts. 

"You should have called for me," is her clipped reply. 

"I didn't want to bother you—"

Alpha growls, and it's not just her speaking roughly. It's a real growl. One that reminds him on a very, very intimate level that he is and always will be prey. "So," she starts, and she sounds like she wants to scream at him, "instead you disobey one of my only commands thus far, while I have people over? What if you had fallen and I hadn't been there to catch you? What if you ate shit in the bathroom and broke your skull on the bathtub. You'd be a pretty big fucking bother then."

There's nothing he can say. Nothing he can do. He just lies on the bed, quivering from head to toe. His stomach churns, bile burning the back of his throat. He will not throw up. 

Alpha grabs him by the chin, makes him stare at her. He's not even sure he's breathing. He makes himself start at her this time, even if it feels wrong. Her eyes are wild, the pupils blown so wide they hide all color. Her nails are sharp, and they _hurt_. 

He doesn't make a sound. 

"You will stay in bed," she whispered, "I am almost done. You will stay in bed until I come to get you. Do you understand?"

Kai nods despite the pain, blinking through his tears. "Yes, Alpha," he croaks. 

"What will you do if you have to go pee again?" 

He licks his lips, tastes salt. "I'll— I'll call for you, Alpha."

She nods, apparently satisfied, and presses her lips to his forehead. She's trembling, with rage or hatred or— disgust.

It makes him want to cry. Because he doesn't deserve it. Because now he has to wait for the monumental punishment that's sure to come. 

Because the kiss doesn't make him warm or fluttery on the inside. Just cold and scared. 

When she leaves, he stays exactly as she left him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are all appreciated!
> 
> As this will be more of a prompt by prompt story, there will be one more chapter for the 'introduction'. If you guys have anything you would like to see our pair go through, let me know with a comment!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to [Sanguia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanguia/pseuds/sanguia) for beta'ing <3

Shortly thereafter, her coworkers all found reasons to excuse themselves, insisting that they could handle the crisis on their own. It had nothing to do with the fact that the apartment now smelled like fury. No. Definitely not. 

Seated on her couch, Nicole forced herself to breathe. Ran her hands through her hair. Swallowed the panic that still bubbled in the back of her throat. 

When she'd heard the bathroom door open, her first thought had been _Kai's sick. The bite didn't take, he's sick, I've got to get him to a hospital._

And then she'd seen him standing there. Perfectly fine. Not even a little red in the face. 

Losing her temper with a newly adopted omega wasn't something on her bucket list. But she hadn't been able to stop herself from snarling at him, and she really, really regretted it. The fear in his eyes as she withdrew from the bedroom was enough to make her want to leave and never come back. 

But she had to. Because she was an alpha, and she needed to take care of her boy. 

Kai was exactly where she'd left him some ten minutes earlier. His face was still damp with tears, his lips still quivering. He didn't look at her. Nicole stood in the doorway. Still breathing slow. Taking another minute to calm herself. 

Finally, she walked forward, grabbing his hand from where it lay limp on the covers. "You really, really scared the shit out of me," she admitted. 

He blinked a few times, saying in a quiet voice, "I'm sorry, Alpha." 

Sitting down on the covers, Nicole looked him over. His hand was so small in hers, slick with sweat and— and he was still trembling. "I thought you were sick. That your body was rejecting the bite. I'm sorry I snapped at you," Nicole sighed. "You should have called for me."

"Yes, Alpha." 

Grimacing, Nicole squeezed his hand. "Would you like to come join me out in the living room? Everyone's gone." 

Not even a flicker on that beautiful face. "If Mistress wants me to." 

She didn't like it. The subdued tone of his voice, the way he stared at nothing. But it was her fault, she would deal with it. 

"Well, I do. C'mon, I'll carry you," she offered. Kai only sat up, expression pinching as he did. He probably had a wicked headache. The physical symptoms of a bite could last upwards of a week, so hopefully it wasn't too bad. As she slipped her arms around his body, Nicole said, "One of the betas I work with, her name is Lisa. She's got an omega just a few months older than you, and we were thinking maybe you two would like to hang out one day?"

Even leaned against her chest, Kai seemed withdrawn. As if he were only half listening. 

"I'll go wherever you say, Mistress," he mumbled. 

She sighed. 

Gently, she set him down on the couch. He swayed a bit but seemed mostly steady, staring down at the carpet. She wiped his tears away, not missing the small little flinch as she did. 

_Fuck me._

As Nicole sat down next to him, she spied two little dots on his throat, opposite of the bite. Pink, like the scars on his wrist. Before she could stop herself, she was touching them. Stroking the roughened skin under her fingers, she heard Kai's breath hitch, a strange shudder running through him. 

"What… are these?" She asked softly. 

Kai licked his lips, swallowing hard. "Scars, Mistress."

"Scars from what?" 

"A, uhm…. A shock collar, Mistress."

Her fingers stilled and she looked at Kai, aghast. "A shock collar?"

Two more fat tears ran down his cheeks, his chest sputtering. "Y-yes, Mistress." 

She moved her touch to his shoulder, eyes locked on those tiny marks. One must have used that collar many, many times. At a high level, too. 

"I'm sorry," murmured Nicole, "I'm sure you did not deserve that."

Kai swallowed again, eyes slipping shut. "I was bad, Alpha."

_I call bullshit, to the highest degree._

Deciding to change the subject, Nicole glanced at her watch. "Shit, it's later than I thought. You must be starving, let me go grab you something."

Kai jolted, legs twitching like he might try to stand. "I can— I can do that, Alpha…"

"You're healing. I can take care of you for a few days," she said, chuckling a little bit. "Besides, you're a small thing. It's not like I'm scouring for a feast." 

She started to make him a bowl of cereal, but hesitated. "Kai?"

"Yes, Alpha?"

"What did they feed you in that place?" 

"Um…" she could hear the trembling in his voice clear as day. "Uh— mostly— mostly just oatmeal? I think that's what they called it." 

"Oatmeal?" She echoed, "That's it? No fruit or vegetables or—?"

"No Mistress. Sometimes, if we were bad they would—" his voice cuts off like a skipping record. 

"So like… did they give you supplements?" 

"Yes Mistress. Everyday." 

"And fluids, any juice, milk?"

"No, Mistress."

_Fuck these people._

She put the cereal away and pulled out her phone. So much for a regular meal then. A bowl of cereal would probably be enough to flip his stomach. 

"So, the internet says I should go out and buy you special foods?" She sighed, "But I'm not gonna do that, just a waste of fucking money. Hm, tell you what: I've got some plain oatmeal, but I'll dress it up for you. We can start transitioning you to normal food when your bite heals." 

"... Whatever Mistress thinks is best."

So she dug out that old tube of oats from the back of the pantry, added just a little bit of sugar and butter— not nearly enough when she usually added half a cup of the stuff, but there's no way Kai would be able to handle that. As a little treat, she decided to cut up a single strawberry. Hopefully that wouldn't cause any trouble. 

"I hope you don't mind, I'm no savant," she said, as she brought the oatmeal out to him, with another glass of water. 

"I'm sure it's lovely Alpha," Kai said, just the barest hint of a smile on his lips, "Thank you so much. I'm sorry I can't be any use to you yet."

She waved him off. "Pssh. As far as I'm concerned, I'm happy to take care of you as long as you need. You could use a little coddling, especially after… earlier."

_After I ruined everything._

Kai took the bowl into his lap, staring at the strawberry rounds with a… strange look on his face. 

"... you know what those are, right?" She asked. 

"Of course," Kai said quickly, "I just— I never got to eat one before."

_Need to get on that Yelp review, stat._

"Really? Didn't you have to take cooking lessons?"

"Well, yes," he swallows, "But we were forbidden to eat any of it. One of our handlers would taste it and tell us if it was good or not. They said the-- the excess calories would make us fat." 

"... Well, I hope you like them," she rasped, because what the hell did you say to _that_?

Kai began eating in small, slow bites, seeming to avoid the strawberries at first. Leaning back into the couch, Nicole took another breath. Watching Kai eat her food in her home was a bit more satisfying than she expected. 

He ate a few more bites, staring silently at the bowl. Then, "May I ask a question, Mistress?"

"Sure." 

"What— um…" he cleared his throat, taking a quick sip of water. "What am I going to be expected to do? When I'm healed, of course."

_I probably should have answered this yesterday. Just fucking shit up left and right, aren't you._

She brushed some of his hair out of his face, again choosing to ignore the way his eyes fluttered, as if he expected her to smack the lights out of him. "Well, mostly just the standard omega shit," she sighed, "Cooking, cleaning. Feeding Roe in the morning. I leave for work around eight on weekdays, so I don't expect you to wake up for that. But I get home around five, so you'll need to have dinner done by then."

Kai nodded. "Of course, Mistress. Will I be responsible for grocery shopping..?"

"No," she said, a bit too quickly, "You'll just give me a list of what you need and I'll get it for you. Too many omegas get stolen around here. That reminds me— I need to get you chipped."

"I thought— I thought those were just for troubled omegas?" He asked softly. "Like, the ones that try to run?"

She shrugged. "I mean, yeah, maybe in other places, but here it's mandatory. Apparently theft is at an all time high."

"O-oh," he croaked, staring at his food. 

"Something wrong, Sweetheart?"

Shifting in his seat, Kai quickly shook his head. "Nothing important, Mistress. Just some… bad thoughts."

_Again with these 'bad thoughts'..._

"It's alright, you know," she hedged, wary of scaring him again. "You can tell me, I won't be mad."

"Oh, n-no Alpha. I can't, i-it's just a waste of your time."

Nicole smoothed a hand down his arm, feeling every twitch and tremble the poor creature made. "Alright. Well, can you tell me what 'bad thoughts' even means?" 

"I-I don't…" he trailed off, throat bobbing. "A thought is bad when— um, when it's not productive, or it goes against the rules, or-or if it's disrespectful…"

She tucked her legs beneath her, turning to view him fully. Kai really did not like that, given the way he shrunk away. It hurt her heart to see him so frightened. But what else did she expect? He wasn't even a day out of training, and she wasn't exactly helping. Earlier, the fear on his face, the terror in his scent, the way he had cowered, but hadn't been able to run. It's burned into her mind, never to be undone.

_You're supposed to protect him, and you scare the life out of him instead._

_You're supposed to protect him, but you hurt him instead._

_Mom paid hundreds of dollars for you to take courses on how to make sure shit like this doesn't happen. Did you just forget?_

_He got hurt, and it's your fault._

_He's terrified, traumatized, and it's your fault._

_This is why people hate alphas._

She has to clear her throat before speaking again. "So yesterday, when you woke up with 'bad thoughts'... why were they bad?"

"They were disrespectful, and unproductive," Kai replied instantly, "I was— I was in a lovely bed, with an amazing new owner, a-and I was stuck thinking about other things that didn't matter. It was— was bad, of me."

That… she didn't really have a response for. 

Awkwardly, she cleared her throat, "Um, alright. And what— what used to happen when you had these bad thoughts?"

Kai's hand flew to his neck, right over those two little scars. "I-I—"

"Nevermind," she said. Kai's mouth shut with a click. 

\---

His hands were shaking as he lifted the spoon to his mouth, swallowing another bite of oatmeal. It was sweeter than the stuff he was used to, far more rich and… enjoyable. Not that he deserved it.

Alpha kept on watching him, even after they stopped talking. He could feel her eyes on his neck, like a brand slowly burning its way through his skin. 

Thankfully, she was merciful enough not to ask any other questions. He felt nauseous as it was. 

It was all he could do to focus on his meal. The only other options were Alpha, something he couldn't bear in that moment, or the window. Something else he needed to ignore. 

_I'm never going to step foot outside._

It was a foolish hope. And really, he should be grateful he's even allowed to see the sky. Some owners blind their omega shortly after getting them, so they can't be distracted by unnecessary things like _outside_ … Hopefully Alpha doesn't do that. 

Hopefully he hasn't given her a reason to. Even though he was shaping up to be a pretty damn garbage omega, and now she knew it wasn't just a fluke. Wasn't just the stress of a new home. 

No, he'd always been a troublemaker. 

His spoon came to the strawberries at last, just a small cluster of pieces at the bottom of the bowl. Kai hadn't been able to make himself eat one yet. They were too pretty, too— too _much_. Not something he deserved, now and ever. 

"Alpha, I beg your forgiveness," he rasped, "But I can't finish. I'm too full."

From the corner of his eye, he watched her eyes narrow, her mouth skew to the side. "Alright," she sighs, "I hope it wasn't too much. How do you feel?"

_My head hurts._

_My neck hurts._

_I want to go outside._

_I want just a moment where I can fucking breathe._

"Fine, Mistress " he replies. And then, like a panicked afterthought, he adds, "Thank you so much. I-I'm sorry I wasted it." 

"Nah, shit's cheap," she says, sounding like she might mean it, and vanishes alongside the bowl into the kitchen. 

His hand finds his throat again, and for a moment Kai thinks he might have been able to feel the collar there. Just a slim band of leather, flush to his skin save for where those two nodes were. The skin on his chest is bare. They pulled off that strange little node only a few days ago, even though they stopped shocking him long before that. Of course he had no way to prove it, but Kai always suspected that's how they knew he was lying, or thinking of a swear. That awful piece of metal and plastic must have been able to read his mind, because Alpha can't do it and the handlers always could.

A pair of hazel eyes flash through is mind. Kai blinks them away.

_Bad thoughts._

They’re still there, though. If he listens hard enough, he could almost hear the screams.

_Really, really bad thoughts._

He almost misses the facility— another bad thought— if only for the fact that these thoughts didn’t happen. The handlers were experts in what they did, especially after training him for so long. If they couldn’t read it in his mind, they could read it on his face. A few sharp words or maybe a smack, and his head would be blessedly clear. Even thinking that makes his face burn. 

_Selfish. Others would kill to be where you are._

Of course, he would never willingly go back. Even if Alpha decided she didn’t like his voice, or his eyes, or his face. There’s nothing she could do to make him want to go back there.

And… he doesn’t think she’ll do any of that. He’s not sure, obviously. But for some reason, he has a hard time believing she would be cruel to him. At least, not _that_ cruel.

He might be wrong. 

He hopes he’s not.

From the kitchen, Alpha calls, “Do you know how to read, Kai?”

Face turning pink, Kaius stammers in reply, “Kind— Kind of? I-I had to be able to read recipes, but that was a-a while ago.”

There’s the sound of rushing water, clanking dishes.

_Bad_ , says a voice in his mind, _you should be doing those dishes, and yet you make your alpha do them instead while you laze around like the bitch you are. You’re worthless._

“Do you like to read?”

Another _like_ question. He doesn’t know what it means. 

“I can do it,” he reiterates, careful to keep his tone neutral. 

“Okay, but like, do you want to?”

What the hell does he say to that? He’s not supposed to _want_ anything. He’s a tool, an object, to carry out his owner’s commands. This— this _want_ and _like_ talk wasn’t meant for omegas. They don’t _want_ , they don’t _like_. They’re supposed to take whatever their owners are kind enough to give them. 

_Want_ and _like_ are for people. Omegas aren’t people.

But still, he has to answer. Because he's frustrated and knows he's not supposed to be. Because Alpha asked him a question, he has to answer.

So he says, “I’m happy to do whatever Alpha needs of me.”

As it turns out, that’s the wrong thing to say.

\---

After failing Alpha's earlier test, his owner doesn't speak very much. He hasn't… seen her very much, either. She cloistered herself in the backroom, which he now realized was her office, and didn't come out for a good few hours.

It wasn't so bad. He gets to doze on the couch, watching more flashy movies and fumbling over the captions. 

Roe came and sat with him for a little while. He didn't pet her, too perplexed by her lack of fur and too wary of those all-seeing eyes to do anything more than watch. She didn't do anything, just laid down against his legs for a long while.

The thought had crossed his mind that, in terms of hierarchy, Roe was higher than him. She was a pet, he an omega. It felt strange to realize this. He'd known, of course. Most owners would consider their shoes more important than their omega, but to put that idea down into context was a little… strange. 

If Alpha was mad at him, she didn't show it. In any way. Not in her scent, her voice, or her face. She just seemed… tired. Upset. Maybe she just needed a nap? Or maybe his fiasco earlier had sucked the energy out of her.

More than anything, he wanted to know why his answer had been wrong. What he was supposed to say instead. Or maybe it was the right answer, and Alpha was upset about something else. It had been quite a rough few days for her as well. Taking on an omega was no small feat, certainly not when that omega was him. 

In another string of bad thoughts, his mind drifted to his batch, back in the facility. His heart ached as he did, remembering the eight brothers and sisters he would never get to see again. He makes a point to avoid thinking about Number Seven, that'll just make him sad, but the others are safe. 

He misses them, even if they weren't really close. He misses being able to speak to someone without having to second guess every word. Alpha mentioned her beta friend; he hopes that happens. 

He misses Alpha too. Already, somehow. It feels empty without her there. Like he's stuck, running idle, just with something to watch. If only she would come out, so he could apologize. So he could do something to show her that he could be good. 

Even if he doesn't know how he was bad. 

She doesn't appear until the sun is low in the sky. Kai jolts awake, cowering away from the hand on his head. 

"Jumpy," Alpha teases. There's a weak smile on her face. 

He swallows a breath, forcing himself to lie loose and return the smile. "Sorry, Mistress," whispers Kai, "I didn't mean—"

She shushes him, settles down on the couch beside him. "I'm sorry I left you alone for so long. I just… needed a little while. To get things in order."

Now his smile is genuine. He doesn't cringe as her hand trails through his hair, instead he leans into it. Purring, nuzzling. Anything to show her that he likes this. That he's sorry. That he missed her. 

"I'm sorry I scared you earlier," Alpha murmurs. She shifts, pulls him close so that his head is on her lap. 

"Don't apologize, Mistress," Kai says without thinking, "I was bad, and I— I scared you. It's no wonder you got so upset."

"Still," she breathes, but doesn't go on. 

They lie there for a little while. Just a few minutes, maybe ten. But honestly? It's great. Alpha toys with his hair, strokes his cheek. It might just be a trick of the mind, but his bite doesn't hurt so much when he's this close to her. 

"I was doing some research, while I was hiding," Alpha explains, "Evidently, I didn't do nearly enough before I got you." 

He says nothing because his voice isn't warranted. 

Alpha shakes her head, staring out the balcony window. "I… I want to do right by you, Kai. I want you to be happy here."

Again he says nothing, but this time it's because he doesn't know what to say. Why does she suddenly look so upset? Did he do something wrong?

"I am!" He blurts, and when she looks at him, totally unconvinced, he ducks his head. "I-I mean… I could be, I think. You're nice. You feed me, you gave me a nice bed, you're letting me heal…"

"I scared the fuck out of you earlier, Kaius. We both know it."

"And I scared you," he points out. 

Alpha grimaces. "I'm an alpha. I'm supposed to have better control of my emotions than that, or people get hurt, like you. I need to be better." 

He doesn't like that. Doesn't like that she's blaming herself for something that's his fault.

Carefully, he asks, "May I sit up, Mistress?" 

"Oh— yeah, of course. Shit, I bet that was hurting your neck—"

Kai heaves himself upright, only to press himself close to Alpha's chest. He tucks himself right under her chin, grasping tightly at the front of her shirt. For a moment Alpha is dead still, and his heart pounds as he expects her to get mad, or at least scold him for being so forward. But she doesn't. 

All Alpha does is wrap her arms around him and rest her chin on his head. 

For just a second or two, he breathes her in. Lets his heartbeat match hers. 

He can't help but feel silly for his terror earlier. When she's like this, holding him so tenderly, Alpha isn't very scary at all. 

She smoothes a hand down his back, while his fingers toy with a seam in her shirt. It's so strange. Being... affectionate like this. Intimate like this. He's never had it before. Never been allowed. 

"I made you an appointment to get chipped," Alpha mumbles into his hair. 

"Thank you Mistress. Um… is it going to hurt?"

"You'll be unconscious for it, so no. You'll just be a little sore afterwards."

He shifts, a small pain reminding him of the bandage on his neck. "May I ask when?" 

Alpha hums, kicks her feet out on the low table. "About two weeks from now. By then, your bite should be healed plenty. I've read that some omegas have a… phobia to being out under. Does that hold true for you?" 

"It… frightens me," Kai admits, helpless but think of his time at the facility. "But I'll do as Alpha wants me to."

She sighs, a puff of warm air down his face. "I'll be there the whole time, to make sure you're safe. I know I've only had you for a little while, but I hope you know that."

And though he doesn't speak, Kaius thinks he does. If Alpha doesn't want to be cruel to him, why would she allow that of others?

"How's your neck? For real, this time," asks Alpha. 

"... it itches. Like, a lot," he says, swallowing. 

"Does it hurt?"

"A little, but it mostly itches."

Alpha moves, going to get up. Kai can't stop the pitiful whimper that escapes him, his grip tightening on her shirt, before he catches himself and immediately lets go. He starts to apologize, but Alpha just chuckles. "I'll be right back, Sweetheart. I just realized I forgot the ointment. It should help with the itching." 

Reluctantly, he lets her leave him on the couch. A feeling of cold floods him as soon as she's gone, the bite flaring like a fresh wound. 

_Come back._

There's the closing of a door, and for an agonizing second, Kai thinks his owner has retreated back to her office once more. 

"Mistress?" He squeaks. He goes to get up but before he can, Alpha comes breezing in from the hallway. 

"I'm here, I'm here," she chimes, a tube in her hand. 

Kai gives a sharp breath of relief, before he drags his hands through his hair and— laughs. Sheepish and small, but it's a real laugh. "Sorry, Mistress. I-I just—"

She flashes him a grin that makes his insides go light and fluffy. "Got scared, I know. Lie back down."

He obeys, not even flinching as Alpha peels back the bandage and applies a small smear of ointment onto his wound. The itch immediately abates, and with another sigh, Kai says, "Thank you, Mistress."

"Don't sweat it, Sweetheart. I'm sorry I forgot."

She sits back down, and all it takes is the crooking of a finger for Kai to slide himself back onto her lap.

Alpha let out a long, satisfied purr. "Oh, you're a good boy. My good boy." 

He pressed his nose to the crook of her neck, going right back to where he had been. There was something right about it. Something that made all the hurt from before disappear, if only for a second. 

_Mine._

_Mine._

_Bad thought._

He shut that voice out. For just a minute, he shut that voice out. Let himself enjoy being close to his owner. His Alpha. 

"I think we can make this work," Alpha whispered from above. Her voice was a song that ran through his veins, making his head go foggy. "What do you think, Sweetheart?"

Kai nuzzled closer, her arms a beautiful weight as they settled against him. "I hope so, Mistress. Cause I really don't want to go back." 

"I don't want to send you back either. That place sounds like three different kinds of fucked up. No, I think I'm gonna keep you right here." 

"Even if I'm bad?" He mumbled, "Even if I'm really, really bad? Like, set-the-house-on-fire bad?" 

Alpha made a little huffing sound, ruffling his hair. "You planning something, Kaius?" 

Realizing what he just asked, Kai swallowed, hurriedly saying, "No— no, Alpha. Promise, I was just—"

Alpha laughed, and Kai flushed bright red. The joke had gone right over his head. 

"Oh, don't look so sad," Alpha snorted, kissing his temple. "I was only teasing. I know you're way too good for that."

"Thank you, Alpha," he whispered. 

She nodded, kissed him once more.

Kai settled back down on her chest, only half listening as Alpha began fiddling with the TV remote. His focus was on her breathing, on her beating heart. 

_Mine._

_Mine._

Yes, this would work. 

He would make it work. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it for now, but I'm not done with these two. As stated before, this story is going to be continued on a prompt-by-promt basis. So if you've got any ideas, be sure to comment below ;)
> 
> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Any comments/kudos are always welcome and appreciated!


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